Ancient hours sundial                    

Museo della Civiltà Contadina del

Friuli Imperiale (Sundials Courtyard)

Photo n° 3

Ancient hours: a way to count diurnal hours used for more than a millennium until the fall of the Roman Empire.

The time indicated corresponds to the twelfth part of the day beginning at dawn. Hours are also called “unequal”, as their duration changes from summer to winter.

At our latitude (46°) ancient hours last 75 minutes in summer, and less than 45 minutes in winter.